Book Review! Who Even Cares? A Rebbe Nachman Tale As Told By Rabbi Gavriel Goldfelder

Stay away from shiny apples!

Thanks to this brilliant work by Rabbi Gavriel Goldfeder, I have new language to help me focus my mind and my energy and my intention when I get off-track, even just a little, distracted by rivers of wine and giants, in my quest to find the princess. I even put a quick drawing of an apple on a post-it and affixed it to my computer screen.

Who Even Cares? is not a story of a damsel in distress. It is not a love story. It doesn’t have a happy ending. It doesn’t have a tragic ending, either. Looked at a little sideways, it might not have an ending at all.   

Rebbe Nachman of Breslov who lived over 200 years ago taught through stories. As Rabbi Goldfeder writes, “There’s really no one like him.” The foundation of this book was first told by Rebbe Nachman and it was called, The Princess Who Was Lost.

Sometime between 200 years ago and 2021 (when this book was published), Rabbi Goldfeder did something brilliant with that story and created an experience that is accessible and all-the-right-kinds of challenging for older middle-grade youth and emerging teens. Like all great works of literature for that age range, though, I’ll go as far as to say that every Jewish adult would benefit from reading this book, too. I most certainly did.

Between them, the rebbe and the rabbi, we learn how to develop care for something or someone, and we are supported in the story of our own adventure in our own normal places where folks like us live and eat. 

First, there is the richness of the Rebbe Nachman story. Full stop. It’s here in the original Hebrew and translated for us with both the meaning and the feel of the story. 

Then there is Rabbi Goldfeder’s commentary, his take on the part of the story on each page. Folks familiar with studying Jewish texts will know what he’s doing there, and those who aren’t familiar get the bonus of becoming familiar with this kind of learning through his writing - as well as having opportunities to enjoy his invitations into the story itself. A good Jewish invitation into a story is also an invitation out of a story, and Rabbi Goldfeder is a master. Take a look: “The storyteller - Rebbe Nachman, who lived in a place called Breslov - didn’t think we needed another story about a heroic king. We have enough of those. The problem with heroic king stories is, when you hear them, you probably think, whatever, I’m not a king, so that doesn’t have much to do with me.” And  “What would make Rebbe Nachman write a story about that? Maybe he was looking at a world where powerful people don’t use their power for good, and that made him wonder about how things can get better if the powerful people aren’t doing their part.” An invitation out of a story is a pathway for taking the story with us - for taking the stories within the story with us. Rabbi Goldfeder builds us tunnels and pathways and bridges and then stands off to the side waiting to see which one we will take. 

Maybe we’ll take a path the illustrator drew for us.

Rabbi Matisyahu Tonti, the illustrator . . . well, it tells us right in the start of the book that he “loves himself some drawing!” It shows. He’s also the author and illustrator of the graphic novel, The Book of Secrets, which I am now compelled to check out. The illustrations in “Who Even Cares?” are fantastic. I love a Jewish story that isn’t about Jews of color that visually includes Jews of color. I look forward to the day when that isn’t noteworthy, but today it still is and I want to take special note. And that princess? Let’s just say her shape wasn’t drawn by Disney and I love her.

I am a rabbi/educator with over 20 years in Jewish education. Who do I think this book is great for besides everyone who is Jewish who loves a good story and probably also some folks who aren’t Jewish who love a good story?

Me? I’m planning to use it as a text with my 5th and 6th graders this school year, maybe also for an adult book club read.

• Perfect for Jewish homeschooling (I’d say 5-8th grade-ish) - Rabbi Goldfeder is a marvelous guide through the text.

• I think it’s a great book for a classzoom/classroom setting. 

• A great gift or study text for a b’mitzvah student. 

• A great text for a discussion-based class for post-b’nei mitzvah.

• A fun way to practice reading Hebrew for all ages of students who can solidly decode/sound out Hebrew. 

• Adult story tellers looking for inspiration. 

• Synagogues should 100% add this book to their libraries and their Shabbat book shelves.

And for sure grown-ups who have been searching for the princess or trying to get out of the No-Good and have been feeling a little stuck. Maybe like me you’ll get a little choked up, too, when Rabbi Goldfeder sends you back into your life and on your way wishing you: “Good luck and godspeed finding the princess. Stay with it, keep at it, and don’t be discouraged. Oh, and stay away from shiny apples!”

All the stars.

Thank you to Rabbi Gavriel Goldfeder for (no obligations) sending me a copy of your book to review. It was such a treat I just had to share it in my own blog as well as posting my review on Amazon (where I do not buy books, but I do support authors selling them) and Goodreads.